The episode uses Blum to examine the historical and political impact of Roy Cohn (1927–1986). Key historical facts about Cohn mentioned or alluded to in the context of the series include:
Michael Sheen’s portrayal of Roland Blum is a "hammy cartoon version" of the real Roy Cohn, designed to evoke his ferociousness and unscrupulous devotion to winning.
: Blum is an amalgamation of Roy Cohn and other "Machiavellian" figures like Roger Stone and Gore Vidal .